For Immediate Release: March 17, 2010
Health care supporters rally to tell Rep. Murphy
“STAND UP FOR US. VOTE YES ON HEALTH CARE REFORM!”
The House will be voting on the final health care reform bill as early as tomorrow and Congressman Murphy remains undecided on the historic legislation.
Clifton Park, NY – A little over a year ago, on February 21, 2009, Congressman Murphy joined local activists and supporters of Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – to join the fight to win quality, affordable health care for all. Congressman Murphy stated that, “in order to truly get New York and the nation back on track we need comprehensive, national health care reform, and we need it now. Current health care costs are unsustainable, and we just cannot afford to wait anymore.”
Today, Citizen Action of New York, MoveOn, Organizing for America and local health care advocates turned out one last time before the vote on the final bill to urge Congressman Murphy to stick to his commitment in support of health care reform by voting ‘yes.’ Congressman Murphy is one of a handful of New York State’s 29 Members of Congress who remains undecided on whether he will vote for or against the bill. Congressman Murphy voted no on the House health care bill but with the final vote on reform happening as early as tomorrow he has one last chance to honor his commitment to health care reform.
Many of those who gathered at the rally are the same constituents who stood in support of Congressman Murphy during the special election, including Al Ormsby, a member of the Saratoga Democratic Committee and a Board Member with Citizen Action of New York. Ormsby stated, “We elected Congressman Murphy because of his ideals including his promise to work for real health care reform. Our families, neighbors, and the 20th Congressional district will benefit from this long overdue reforming of our broken health care system. In the 20th Congressional District alone, HR 3962 would: guarantee 459,000 people good coverage at work; give 15,500 small businesses tax credits to help purchase coverage; provide coverage to 29,000 people who are now uninsured and stop 1,200 families from going bankrupt from the cost of care.”
With this struggle having passed the one year mark our elected officials are set to make history with the passage of this bill. “We applauded Congressman Murphy when he stood by the public option as the best tool to drive down costs and introduce competition to the health insurance marketplace. Now, to be a true champion of health care and a real representative of his district and New York State, we will stand with him to now vote YES for health care reform.” said by Joe Seeman, a member of MoveOn.
Dozens of health care supporters across the Capital District rallied in front of the Congressman’s Clifton Park Office as part of a final push to have Congressman Murphy stand up for his constituents and play a vital role in passing historic health care reform. “The vote may come down to a single member and we do not want Congressman Murphy to be the vote that prevents America from realizing the dream of quality, affordable health care,” said by Chris Scoville Capital District Organizer of Citizen Action of New York.
While in Washington, DC last week, members of Citizen Action met with Congressman Murphy and his staff and made it clear to them that this vote is his last chance to be part of history. Charles Brown, a resident of Saratoga who worked on Congressman Murphy’s campaign stated, “This is not about politics, but about what must happen right now to fix our broken health care system and ensure that health care access is a right and not a privilege.” This rally brought that message back home to Murphy’s district just days before the final vote.
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